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At last years annual meeting we came to a general agreement to find a way for measurer's to attain insurance while performing their measurements. However, there were conditions that the RRTC set and asked David Katz to pursue this. These conditions have been meet and now it's close to becoming a reality.

Below is where we are at this point in time. All this will be finalized by our Annual meeting.

David Katz has been in touch with the Officials Committee chair, who is very open to creating a special category of USATF Officials for Course Measurers. This category would be administered entirely at the national level, with RRTC in charge; thus, it would not require working through the local Associations who normally administer the certification of other kinds of USATF officials. The title for this new Officials category will be “LDR SURVEYOR”. RRTC has set the criteria for attaining each level as follows:

Association level: Measures at least 5 courses successfully for certification and is recommended by State Certifier and answers a “20 questions” test(must be done).

National level: Certified at Association level for at least 2 years, has measured at least 10 courses during that period, Recommended by State Certifier.

Master level: All Regional Certifiers and IAAF “A” or “B” measurers.
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This has been going on for a long time. I have found that in order for you to be covered for an injury to one self the event must be sanctioned. and you must be a member of USATF. The event is not normally sanction until the course is certified.

I may be wrong on this, but found the coverage was so vague that you probably should have your own insurance.

Again, we are still working on this.
Michael,

I'll try to explain the insurance for officials and course measurers.

There are two items that are covered by USATF insurance. They are 1) General Liability insurance and 2) Accident insurance.

The General Liability is a wrap around insurance policy that covers general liability while in an organized event of track and field, race walking and Long Distance Running. This is the most important coverage for a measurer. It means, for example, that while measuring the course for a sanctioned or non-sanctioned event and a vehicle sues you for impeding traffic causing them to hit another vehicle, you will have coverage.

The second item is Accident Insurance. This item is secondary to any major medical insurance that course measurers already have (through work or another group.) If the measurer does not have major medical, then the accident insurance becomes primary. I believe the amount of coverage is only $10,000 for accidents and dismemberment.

http://www.usatf.org/membershi...s/groupInsurance.asp

In order to be eligible for the USATF insurance, course measurers must be USATF members and must be USATF Certified Officials. This coverage is available now.

You may be certified as an Long Distance Running / Cross Country official, a Track & Field official, a Race Walk official, Combined Events official, etc. Within each of those disciplines there are several certification levels, including, Association, National, Master, National Master Referee and National Technical Official.

For a course measurer that wants to get started immediately, they should become Long Distance Running / Cross Country official on the association level. The process is as simple as contacting your local officials certification chair, reviewing the USATF Competition Rules Book, taking a 50 question, open-book exam at home and mailing it to your local certification chair.

The questions are straight out of the rules book. Here are a few examples:

  • [Transponder Timing] The use of transponder timing systems in road and cross country races is permitted provided that the resolution is ____ seconds.

  • Rules Applicable to Long Distance Running Events] Road running performances will not be accepted if the ______________ shows the actual course distance was shorter than the stated distance.

  • [Rules Applicable to all Records] For races _______ than the Marathon distance, an athlete may compete at a distance shorter than the stated race distance but longer than the Marathon distance.

  • [Transponder Timing] Net times (the elapsed time between an individual's transponder generated starting and finish times) shall not be used for ______ purpose other than Masters LDR records.

The list of officials certification chairs is available at:

http://www.usatf.org/groups/of...ification/chairs.asp

Additional information on becoming a USATF Certified Official is available at:

http://www.usatf.org/groups/officials/

We are currently working on a process that would make it a bit easier for course measurers to become USATF Certified Officials and to advance as an official. We'll discuss that process at the annual meeting.

I'm not the expert on USATF insurance or Certified Officials, but I hope this helps. Thank you. -- Justin
Justin, thanks for this explanation. I do have some concerns as explained below.

My take on the above:
1. What is implied by the statement: general liability will cover you "in an organized event of track and field, race walking and Long Distance Running” Who determines the event is organized if it’s not sanctioned?
2. Note The USATF’s general liability insurance does not include coverage for professional liability (so claims for damages if the measurer makes a measurement mistake are not covered). If the measurer has a concern about being held responsible for his/her course accuracy, then he/she should consider including a waiver or hold harmless agreement in his/her contract with the event.
Jim,

Justin Kuo is going to see if there is any interest. The main concern of our people asking is what insurance coverage do they have from becoming a Certified Official. There would be costs involved(about $100) and there would be benefits(you would be able to identify yourself to local authorities with a card).

The following information was provided by Irene Herman, USATF Insurance Advisor, in a meeting on December 1, 2011, during the 2011 USATF Annual Convention:
A.The measurer is a USATF member not necessarily an Official
1. If the event is sanctioned (meaning that sanction was already obtained before the course measurement), USATF provides Excess Medical and General Liability coverage.
B. The measurer is a USATF Certified Official:
1. The measurer gets “A” above (because certified officials are always USATF members) and USATF also provides General Liability coverage for non-sanctioned events.

Notes:
•Medical coverage refers to injury to yourself. USATF provides “Excess Medical” coverage is secondary to any other medical insurance you have.

•General Liability coverage refers to injury or property damage that you cause to someone else.

•If you don’t have USATF provided General Liability coverage, liability claims of this sort may be payable by your home-owner’s or similar insurance plan.

•USATF’s general liability insurance does not include coverage for professional liability (so claims for damages if the measurer makes a measurement mistake are not covered). If the measurer has a concern about being held responsible for his/her course accuracy, then he/she should consider including a waiver or hold harmless agreement in his/her contract with the event.
Gene Newman and Bob Baumel
December 27, 2011
Having white hair helps prevent getting questioned about what you are doing while measuring. When the police or park rangers see a couple disheveled, white haired old guys on bikes, wearing yellow vests, stopping frequently to write something on scraps of paper, they usually just shake their heads. This is especially true when the old guys are dressed in several layers of standard work clothes, jeans and wearing bulky ski gloves; not the high tech lightweight gear they are used to seeing on riders.
Sounds great, Guido. Come on down to D.C. and measure a course around the U.S. Capitol sometime. I'll lurk nearby with a camcorder to capture the action as the Capitol Hill Police load your white-haired yellow-vest clad self into their security wagon for a trip to the hoosegow. RRTC folks will pay me electronic money to see video of the action Big Grin
Maybe Lyman and I are painting too bleak a picture of measurer harassment around here. Actually I haven't been stopped for a few months now(!), and I have learned a few rules of the road, mostly learned the hard way.
1. Never try to use any paint on the U.S. Capitol reservation
2. Learn the boundaries of that territory (it's more extensive than you might think)
3. Don't whip out a camera on the pentagon plantation. They are watching and you will be swooped down upon! Always best to let the Lieutenant for Pentagon Police know you are doing some work there.
4. Park Police, who control Independence and Constitution Avenues as well as parks-- hit and miss, and I've actually run into some pretty nice folks but that isn't guaranteed. For the Army Ten Mile course I carry the work order right along with me and some sort of paper from the Park Police OK'ing the work.
5. DC police (MPD) usually leave you alone but for those occasions when they stop to ask you questions, it helps to give some names in SOD (special operations) Dept.
6. Don't even think about riding without ID.

Hmm. A lot of stuff to remember I guess. But on the plus side, I haven't (yet) been actually arrested!
Knock on wood.
Years ago, before 9/11, I was hired to measure a course that started and finished on H Street, N.W. on the north edge of Lafayette Park. For those of us who do not know Washington, D,C,, Lafayette Park is directly across Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House. Due to the traffic in the area, I had arranged for a police escort. Near the end of my second ride, the officer escorting me asked if he could leave. As I had arrived at the initially-spotted finish with just a few yards further to reach the final finish line, I said "OK". As I rode my bike the last few meters, I looked around to see if there was anyone who might see me apply a small paint mark at the finish spot. No one in sight. As I dismounted and grabbed my paint can and began applying the mark, I heard a deep, loud voice: "Sir, what are you doing?". I looked up to see a small monument of a man on a mountain bike with a Secret Service badge. I could not understand where he came from. It was as if he had silently dropped out of an overhead branch. Though the D.C. police had promised me they would coordinate my measurement with the other law enforcement agencies in whose jurisdiction I was working that morning, I learned they had done no such thing. Another Secret Service agent rode up on a mountain bike. After being detained for over 30 minutes, Secret Service was finally able to contact the officer who escorted me. It seemed he was the only person who could vouch for me. Another 10 minutes of I.D. checks, and I was freed with a warning.
Last edited by pastmember

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